Carrying carton for cans



Sept. 9, 1958 A. J. KRAMER ET AL 2,

CARRYING CARTON FOR CANS Filed Dec. 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l v INVENTORS Alphonse u. Kline! 20 i 3 BY Claude D. Pazbrzef A T TORNE VS Sept- 1958 A. J. KRAMER ET AL CARRYING CARTON .FOR CANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 26. 1956 INVENTORS Alphonse J1 [Kramer BY 67am: .0. P5522591 A 7' TORNE VS United States Patent CARRYING CARTON FOR CANS Alphonse J. Kramer, Sacramento, and Claude D. Painter, San Francisco, Calif.

Application December 26, 1956, Serial No. 630,672

1 Claim. (Cl. 229-40) This invention relates in general to a carrying carton for cans, and particularly to such a carton adapted for use with canned beverages such as beer.

A major object of this invention is to provide a carrying carton in which the cans therein are firmly engaged by tabs so that the cans are effectively locked in the carton against escape or shifting when said carton is being transported.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a carrying carton, for cans, which is made from an initially flat carton form or blank which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

An additional object of the invention is to: provide a carrying carton, for cans, which can be quickly and easily set up and interconnected from such a carton form or blank.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a carton form or blank, as above, whichwhen so set up and interconnectedhas tab sections capable of being inwardly folded to form the can retaining tabs.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical, reliable, and durable carrying carton for cans, and one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully ap- In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a carton form or blank for making a carrying carton of one embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a carrying carton made from the form or blank of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial or fragmentary top view of the carrying carton shown in Fig. 2, and illustrating particularly the position of the cans within the carton, and the locking of said cans therein by the tabs.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional elevation on line 44 of Fig. 2, showing certain of the can reraining tabs.

Figs. 5-8, inclusive, are views corresponding to Figs. 1-4, inclusive, but illustrate the carrying carton in another embodiment of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, and particularly to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs.

14, inclusive, the carton form or blank for making a carrying carton for cans is shown particularly in Fig. 1, and is identified generally as F; such form or blank being of integral or one-piece construction preferably of cardboard or the like.

By applying pressure to compress or score such carton form or blank along a line thereon, there will result a fold line which will enable the form to be easily bent or folded along such line. Four of these fold lines, indicated at 1, are illustrated-particularly in Fig. 1--to divide the ICC carton form into a first top panel 2, a first wall panel 3, a bottom panel 4, a second wall panel 5, and a second top panel 6.

The carton form or blank F is formed alongeach of the fold lines 1 with four tab sections indicated at 7, 8, 9 and 10. Each of such tab sections is defined by a first cut 11, transverse and straight across the related fold line, a second cut 12 across the fold line and having two sides 13 and 14 diverging from the fold'line toward the first cut 11 and extending laterally beyond the ends of the first cut, and oppositely diverging score lines 15 and 16 joining the ends of the first cut 11 and second cut 12.

The tab sections 7 and 8 have their second cuts 12 diverging away from the center line of the carton form toward one side thereof, while the tab sections 9 and 10 have their second cuts also diverging away from the center line of the carton form but toward the other side thereof.

The initially flat carton form or blank F is erected by right angle folding of its described panels along the fold lines 1 to form an open ended container or carton having four sides, as shown in Fig. 2. The first top panel 2 and second top panel 6 overlap and are fastened together by adhesive surface 17 on top of panel 6 adhering to the first top panel 2.

Glue or any other suitable adhesive material may be used for said adhesive surface, although it is to be understood that other known means may be used for fastening the two top panels 2 and 6, such-as for example staples.

Two finger grip-cut-outs 18 in each of top panels 2 and 6 are positioned to match when said top panels are overlapped and fastened together.

By means of such matching finger grip cut-outs 18, the carrying carton can be readily manually lifted upon insertion of two fingers of a persons hand through such cut-outs.

In Fig. 2, six cylindrical cans 19such as are commonly used to contain a beverage-are disposed symmetrically within the carton; i. e. two side-by-side rows with three cans in each row. The finger grip cut-outs 18 are positioned within the spaces between certain of the cans 19 to permit fingers to be inserted through such cutouts without obstruction.

The tab sections 7, 8, 9 and 10 along each fold line 1 are inwardly folded to define can retaining tabs 20; i. e. such tab sections are pressed inwardly to bend on diverging score lines 15 and 16 so that each tab section then extends within the carton, resulting in the tab section folding on that portion of the corresponding fold line in an opposite direction to that of the adjacent panels as seen in Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 illustrates the can retaining tabs 20 firmly engaging the cans 19 to lock them against escape or shifting when the carrying carton is being transported. The portion 21 of each tab between the two sides 13 and 14 of second cut 12 extends to bear against one of the cans 19, while the portion 22 of each tab adjacent the first cut 11 engages the carton to prevent movement of said can retaining tab.

Each of the cans 19 next to an open end of the carton has a can retaining tab '20 disposed to prevent said can from moving toward such end; the related intermediate can having two tabs 20 to fix it in position in order to relieve the force that the intermediate can might otherwise exert on one or the other of the adjacent end cans, and the tab engaging the same.

It will be noted that each of the two sides 13 and 14 of second cut 12, of each tab section, are curved away from the related fold line 1. As shown in the drawings, the cans are cylindrically shaped; the curves of the two sides 13 and 14 permitting a greater surface of portion 22 of each tab to bear against the adjacent can 19, which results in said tabs more effectively locking or holding the cans in position in the carton.

In commercial practice, it is anticipated that the carton form or blank F will first be erected and interconnected to the carton shape shown in Fig. 2; the cans 19 will then be inserted into the carton in the symmetrical order previ ously described; and finally the tab sections 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be depressed or folded inwardly, as tabs 20 and by applying pressure, to their can-engaging and holding positions.

Referring now to Figs. 5-8, inclusive, of the drawings, they show another embodiment of the invention in which the top panels are cut in a manner to enable the formation of a handle for the carrying carton when the initially fiat form or blank is set up and interconnected. Corresponding parts in the two embodiments have like reference numerals with the added subscript of the letter a in the embodiment of Figs. 5-8, inclusive.

As all of the parts are similar in construction and arrangement in this further embodimentwith the exception of top panels 2a and 6a, such parts will not be further described.

The portion of top panels (m on which the adhesive surface 17a is located, has handle cuts 23 and 24, and flap cut 25, to form a handle section 26 and end flaps 27. Top panel 2a is cut to form another identical handle section 28 with a flap cut 29. When the carton form or blank is set up and interconnected, the adhesive surface of end flaps 27 adhere them to top panel 2a in overlapping relation as seen in Fig. 6, and at that time the adhesive surface of handle section 26 adheres it to handle section 28 which completes the fastening of the top panels together.

With the flaps formed by flap cuts 25 and 29 adhered together and folded, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, a generally inverted U-shaped handle is provided by the adhered handle sections 26 and 28. With such handle, the carton--as filled with cans-can be readily carried from point to point.

As the carton form or blank, for each of the embodiments, is an initially flat single piece of cardboard or the like, and which has been cut and scored in the manner described, it can be economically manufactured "as Well 4 as readily set up and interconnected to then provide a carton which is a very practical and effective article for the transport of cans held in said carton by the tabs.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

An elongated blank to provide a rectangular openended carton for a row of cylindrical cans the blank being scored for bending transversely in spaced relation to form a bottom, sides, and a top for the carton and so that certain of the score lines form the corners between the bottom and sides of the carton, and a plurality of can engaging and retaining tabs formed in the blank in crossing relation to each corner and arranged to project into the carton when the blank is folded to form the same; each tab being defined by a first cut crossing said corner and a second cut across said corner, and by scores joining the ends of the cuts, said cuts and scores being arranged symmetrically relative to the corner-forming score line; said first cut extending straight across the comer-forming line and said second cut having two sides on opposite sides of and diverging from said corner-forming line toward the first cut; the scores joining the ends of the first and second cuts diverging oppositely from the ends of the first cut and the two sides of the second cut curving in convex relation to the corner-forming line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,333,560 Gray Nov. 2, 1943 2,371,312 Potter Mar. 13, 1945 2,603,923 Chidsey July 22, 1952 2,611,527 Fisher Sept. 23, 1952 2,654,474 Ringler Oct. 6, 1953 

